Ethnocracy

Ethnocracy is a form of government where representatives of a particular ethnic group hold a number of government posts disproportionately large to the percentage of the total population that the particular ethnic group(s) represents and use them to advance the position of their particular ethnic group(s) to the detriment of others. The minority ethnic groups are systematically discriminated against by the state and may face repressions or violations of human rights at the hands of state organs. Ethnocracy can also be a political regime which is instituted on the basis of qualified rights to citizenship, and with ethnic affiliation (defined in terms of race, descent, religion, or language) as the distinguishing principle. Generally, the raison d'être of an ethnographic government is to secure the most important instruments of state power in the hands of a specific ethnic collectivity. All other considerations concerning the distribution of power are ultimately subordinated to this basic intention. Ethnocracies are generally considered to be non-democratic in nature.

Ethnocracies are characterised by their control system– the legal, institutional, and physical instruments of power deemed necessary to secure ethnic dominance. The degree of system discrimination will tend to vary greatly from case to case and from situation to situation. If the dominant group (whose interests the system is meant to serve and whose identity it is meant to represent) constitutes a small minority (20% or less) of the population within the state territory, extreme degrees of institutionalised suppression will probably be necessary to sustain the status quo. The other side of the coin might well be a system of full-fletched democracy (inclusive and competitive in Robert Dahl's terminology) for the privileged population, making up what Pierre van den Berghe (1981) calls "Herrenvolk democracy" (with reference to apartheid South Africa). This is a system of ethnocracy which offers democratic participation to the dominant group only.

Israel

In his book Ethnocracy: Land and Identity Politics in Israel/Palestine, Israeli geographer Oren Yiftachel refers to a strategy of "Judaization" as the primary manifestation of ethnocracy in Israel/Palestine. . Similar references have also been made to the Palestinian Territories.

South Africa

Ethnocracy indicates a specific principle of power-distribution in a society. In his book Power-Sharing in South Africa ISBN 0-87725-524-5, Arend Lijphart classifies contemporary constitutional proposals for a solution to the conflict in South Africa into four categories:

• majoritarian (one man, one vote)
• non-democratic (varieties of white domination)
• partitionist (creating new political entities)
• consociational (power-sharing by proportional representation and elite accommodation) (1985:5)

Not surprisingly, Lijphart argues strongly in favour of the consociational model and his categories illustrates that, on the constitutional level, state power can be distributed along two dimensions: Legal-institutional and territorial.

Along the legal-institutional dimension we can distinguish between sectarianism(power centralised according to membership in a specific group), pluralism (power-distribution among defined groups according to relative numerical strength), and universalism (power-distribution without any group-specific qualifications). The three main alternatives on the territorial dimension are the unitary state, "intermediate restructuring" (within one formal sovereignty), and partition (creating separate political entities).

Latvia

Despite the fact that more 22% of the Latvian citizens are ethnic Russian speakers, not a single ethnic Russian speaker was working as a minister from the beginning 1990. Only some ethnic Russian speakers were holding top level positions in the governmental institutions. The lack of loyalty is mentioned as justification for that.

Pakistan

Historian Christoffe Jaffrelot argues in his landmark work "Pakistan. Nationalism without a Nation" that contemporary Pakistan is essentially little more than a Punjabi racial ethnocracy. He refers to the phenomenon as the "Punjabization of Pakistan". He observes systemic ethnic and cultural irredentism in Pakistan that intentionally minimizes and disparages non-Punjabis (such as the Sindhi, Baluch or Pukhtun ethnic minorities). The Pakistani government machinery is heavily dominated by Punjabis, and systemic discrimination, as well as underrepresentation, against non-Punjabis in the country is the norm. Endemic and systematic discrimination against the Baluch has given rise to Baluch freedom fighters such as Nawab Akbar Bugti and the Balochistan Liberation Army, which seeks to build an independent Baluch republic free from discrimination against them. Other ethnic and sectarian strife in Pakistan that has its roots in racism, or perceptions of race, are the Muhajir Urdu movement, and Pashtun nationalism.

Uganda

Uganda under military strongman Idi Amin Dada has also been described as an ethnocracy favouring certain indigenous groups over others, as well as for the ethnic cleansing of Indians in Uganda by Amin.

See also

• Ethnic nationalism
• Ethnic democracy
• Dominant minority
• Ethnic elite
• Superstratum
• Nationalism
• Apartheid

External links

• Politics of Ethnocracies: Strategies and Dilemmas of Ethnic Domination Nils A. Butenschøn